Statewide turnout expected to be 51%; 56% in King

Secretary of State Sam Reed predicted Tuesday that the statewide voter turnout will be 51 percent in November. He called that level “respectable.”

It could reach 56 percent in King County.

Last year’s presidential election the turnout was a record 85 percent.

By last week, the state had more than 3.57 million registered voters. More than 50,000 registrations have been culled since last November’s registration of more than 3.63 million, which was a a record.

In the last four decades, turnouts in odd-year elections average 51 or 52 percent.

Reed said a survey of counties shows that King County, spurred by races for county executive and Seattle mayor, expects a turnout of 56 percent.